Gov budget backers to target pols

Chris CassidyFriday, March 01, 2013

Credit: Ted Fitzgerald

YES WE CAN: Gov. Deval Patrick touts his budget plan this week at the State House.

A coalition of public sector unions, town politicians and other supporters of Gov. Deval Patrick’s $1.9 billion tax proposal plan to rally at the State House later this month, hoping to convince skeptical lawmakers to go along with hiking taxes and fees to fund education and transportation improvements.

“The goal of the rally is to speak to as many legislators as we can to express our support for additional revenue to invest in important programs and communities across Massachusetts — transportation, education and health care,” said Stephen Crawford of Campaign for Our Communities.

Behind the lobbying day are a group of more than 100 organizations, including the Massachusetts Teachers Association, AFSCME Council 93 and the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, as well as a number of city councils and boards of selectmen across the Bay State.

They plan to rally March 12 and lobby Beacon Hill politicians, who are becoming increasingly skittish about Patrick’s tax-hike plan, noting they have to run for re-election in two years and he doesn’t.

Patrick has been holding private meetings in the Corner Office with lawmakers and launched a glitzy new web site Wednesday, complete with 400 maps to illustrate how much new aid would flow into each House and Senate district. House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo has said he has “grave concerns” about the plan.